Graveside services with military honors for 99-year old Cliff Lawrence of Hay Springs, NE, are Sat, Sept 10, 2022 at 10:00 AM at the Hay Springs City Cemetery.
A reception at the Hay Springs United Methodist Church will follow the services.
A memorial has been established for Pioneer Manor or the Hay Springs Ambulance Fund and donations may be sent in care of Chamberlain Drabbels Mortuary, PO Box 443, Hay Springs, NE 69347.
Online condolences may be left at www.chamberlainchapel.com
Clifford Emery Lawrence was born June 12, 1923, in Rushville, NE, to Emery and Opal Lawrence and passed away on Sept 1, 2022, at Pioneer Manor in Hay Springs.
Cliff was raised on the family farm northwest of Rushville and attended school in Rushville. After graduating from Rushville High School, he served the United States in World War II as a medic in the Philippines and Okinawa. When the war ended, he watched the surrender plane fly into Okinawa.
The day that he returned home after the war, he was invited to go to a dance where he danced with the love of his life, Donna Westlake. They married July 15, 1947, and her wedding dress was made of silk that Cliff had brought back from Japan. They celebrated 75 years of marriage this year.
Cliff was a carpenter and proud of the places in the area that he helped build.
His hobby was restoring antique cars. He would build them and Donna would do the upholstery work. They would visit their many friends that had cars and traveled to Canada several times a year to visit collectors of cars.
They would also travel to swap meets and if Donna couldn’t go, Cliff would go with friends. He had some wonderful trips. His son-in-law Jiggs got involved working on the cars and learning from Cliff. Cliff and Donna
Cliff eventually decided to start his own business building wooden car bodies for collectors of antique car, and he continued to do so until he retired.
Cliff is survived by his wife Donna; his son Gary (Becky) Lawrence, his daughter Judie (Lewis) McKenny; his grandchildren Shauna Coupens, Shay (Terry) Knapp and Brian Lawrence; his great-grandchildren Jacie and Keegan Coupens; and his brother and sister-in-law Elwin and Doris Lawrence.
Preceding him in death were his parents Opal and Emery; his granddaughter Shannon McKenny, brother Ralph Lawrence and sister-in-law Marilyn Lawrence; sister Ruth Hindman and brother-in-law Bob Hindman; nieces Donna Jean Hindman and Carol Hall; and nephew Jerry Lawrence.
Chamberlain Drabbels Mortuary of Hay Springs is in charge of arrangements for Cliff Lawrence.